Desolate Era (Book 6 - Book 10)

Laughing, Ning nodded. “I would very much like to spar against my senior fellow disciples.” Ninelotus laughed. “Then you have to be careful. I just lost a round myself, just now.”


“Junior apprentice-brother Ji Ning!” A cold voice rang out. Ning turned to look. The speaker was the white-robed Bloodrinker Bladask. Bladask’s purpose for coming was to defeat Ning, and thus vent the anger in his heart. He hadn’t expected to encounter Ninelotus, whom he had always admired very much. He had gone all out to defeat Ninelotus, in the hopes that this senior apprentice-sister would remember him in the future. Who would have imagined that after Ning arrived, he would immediately get into such an involved conversation with senior apprentice-sister Ninelotus.

“Senior apprentice-brother Bladask,” Ning laughed. Bladask responded in a cold voice, “Do you remember our battle at the cave?” Ning nodded. “I do. That time, I wished to tell you my name, but you, senior apprentice-brother Bladask, refused to let me do so. You said that we’d never meet again.”

The look on Bladask’s face changed as he heard this. Ning laughed and continued, “I didn’t even tell you my name, but it appears you already know it, senior apprentice-brother. Might I ask why you are calling for me?”

Bladask’s gaze was filled with a cold light. “Dare you go onto the dais and debate the Dao with me?” Ning turned his head to look towards the giant Dao Debate Palace. “Go onto the dais and debate the Dao?” The giant palace was quite similar to a giant dining room from his past life. There were quite a few seats nearby, and in the center, there was an enormous battle arena. At the same time, at each side of the arena, there was a tall stone pillar. The Dao debaters would seat themselves atop the stone pillars and rely on golems to engage in a battle!

Ninelotus, standing to the side, said, “Junior apprentice-brother Ji Ning, you must be careful. The person I just lost to was junior apprentice-brother Bladask.” Bladask, hearing this, felt all the more jealous, and the cold light in his eyes grew increasingly sharp. “Dare you, or dare you not?”

“I’ve come here precisely to spar with my fellow disciples. Why wouldn’t I dare?” Ning shook his head and laughed. “It’s just a hundred black-white pellets and five kilograms of liquefied elemental essence.”

“Haha, a hundred black-white pellets and five kilograms of liquefied elemental essence is just the smallest wager possible.” Bladask laughed coldly. “Black-white pellets are gifted to us by the College and are extremely rare. I’m willing to wager fifty kilograms of liquefied elemental essence. Do you dare accept?”

Ning frowned. Bladask continued in his cold voice, “Oh, right. As a new disciple, you only have fifty kilograms of liquefied elemental essence. I imagine that you probably wouldn’t be able to produce so much, junior apprentice-brother.” As he spoke, he waved his hand and produced an insignia. “This is an elemental mark from the Heavenly Treasures Mountain. It represents a thousand taels of liquefied elemental essence, which is to say, fifty kilograms. If you take it to the Heavenly Treasures Mountain, you can trade it for fifty kilograms!”

“Dare you accept my wager?” Bladask looked towards Ning.

……..

The atmosphere instantly turned stiff. The other disciples immediately understood that there was something not quite right between Bladask and Ning. Previously, when they had battled Northson, they had only made the smallest of wagers; after all, nobody wanted to generate enmity and strife amongst their fellow disciples. For Bladask to increase the wager was a clear sign that he wanted to mistreat Ning.

If a new disciple were forced to take out fifty kilograms of liquefied elemental essence, wouldn’t that mean they wouldn’t have anything to train with?

But of course, they had no idea….that although Bladask originally did want to fight against Ning, he hadn’t planned on being so nasty. Only, he had noticed how engaged Ninelotus had been in her conversation with Ning. Ninelotus normally would say just a few meaningless phrases to him when he spoke to her, but towards Ning, she voluntarily spoke out to him. This made Bladask feel quite mistreated.

“How am I inferior to this Ji Ning? Why is it that senior apprentice-sister Ninelotus seems to treat him differently, from the very moment they met each other? In terms of treasures, family heritage, power, or clan, this Ji Ning is inferior to me!” The look in Bladask’s eyes grew still colder.

“Junior apprentice-brother Ji Ning,” Ninelotus said. “You just joined the school. Let me lend you fifty kilograms of liquefied elemental essence.” When he heard these words, the angry aura emanating from Bladask grew only more terrifying.

But Ning only laughed. “No need. Since senior apprentice-brother Bladask wishes to wager fifty kilograms, then I will accept.” Ning waved his hand, and several insignias appeared as well. “These are elemental marks of the Heavenly Treasures Mountain. They can be traded for a thousand taels as well.”

“Eh?” “Elemental marks of the Heavenly Treasures Mountain?” All of them stared at the elemental marks. Bladask had entered the school long ago, and had gone adventuring in the outside world; it was normal for him to have acquired some treasures and traded them to the Heavenly Treasures Mountain for elemental marks! But Ji Ning had just entered the school, and yet he was able to casually bring out a thousand taels as well…this was quite extraordinary. What none of them realized was that Ning had won these marks at the duel at the Carefree Caverns.

Although news regarding the battle at the Carefree Caverns had spread out, these disciples of the Black-White College knew very little about it. Of the Primal Daoists, only Wu Xiu knew a bit more about these matters.

……

“A hundred black-white pellets and fifty kilograms of liquefied elemental essences.” An old voice rang out. A white-haired old man who stood at the side of the Dao Debate Palace had spoken out. “Since you both accept, then let this be the wager.”

“Now, I’m going to ask the two disciples to each select their golem.” The white-haired elder continued to speak. He was a golem as well; he was responsible for some of the matters here in the Dao Debate Palace.

Ning and Bladask both immediately headed towards a side door; there were many golems placed within this side door to the Dao Debate Palace.

They entered a small hall. The white-haired elder pointed to the many golems; there were at least hundreds of them present. These golems were black, and looked like stone sculptures. “These golems have identical elemental ki cores. The energy they release will all be at the early Wanxiang Adept level. That way, those reincarnated Immortals who are within our school who are in possession of a divine sense won’t be able to use it to influence the battle significantly.”

Ning nodded. Divine sense was slightly superior to peak Zifu level power, but roughly the same as the early Wanxiang level. Even if it was used to control weapons, it wouldn’t impact the battle too much.

“These golems all come with their own weapons,” the white-haired elder continued. “They include flying swords, flying needles, giant warhammers…in short, all types of magic treasures are present! Choose a golem based on the type of weapon you prefer.”

Bladask was very quick to make his choice. He immediately walked towards a golem, placing it on the golem’s body and quickly binding it.

“I’ll go now. You can take your time in choosing.” Bladask gave Ning a glance, then immediately left. As for that golem, it transformed into a blur as it followed after him.

…….

The spectating disciples within the Dao Debate Palace, Northson and Ninelotus included, numbered eight.